Eight Things To Demystify Laos Tourism

Interest in Asia Pacific rural tourism has spiked in recent decades, much like country retreats did in 19th-century Victorian England, and for similar reasons.

Even when Laos is present at big shows such as ITB, its boost is too small and gets by most people unnoticed", adds Mr. Deuansavan. Their limited resources do not allow them to show a strong presence around the world", adds the organization. And budgets have not increased for promotion", explains a foreign based institution.

The Ministry of Tourism has been degraded to a simple department following its merging with the Ministry of Communication and Culture. It looks as if the government looks at tourism as a negligible activity. Even official foreign institutions working directly or indirectly in tourism feels that Laos is missing an opportunity to gain more fame worldwide.

VIENTIANE - Simply Beautiful- I love that slogan because this sounds so true. With Khammouane Province, Luang Prabang room occupancy is the highest in the country, reaching on average 75% in 2016 (up by two percent points over 2015) compared to 61% nationwide and 56% for Vientiane Capital. Luang Prabang has Lao PDR largest hotel capacity after Vientiane Capital.

Hotels alone had a capacity of 3,474 beds in 2,340 rooms. In 2016, Luang Prabang had 49 hotels and 249 guest houses representing a total of 4,844 rooms and 6,900 beds. The results of dynamic models indicate that relative price and infrastructure are more important determinants than income in the short-run adjustment of tourist inflow.

This suggests that tourism to Laos is not a luxury good. In particular, we find that tourism to Laos is income and price inelastic. We find that communication and transportation infrastructure, destination risk, bilateral trade, and distance between Laos and countries of origin are, in the long run, among the main determinants of tourism to Laos.

The models allow us to estimate the short-and long-run effects of tourism determinants. This paper specifies static and dynamic panel demand models for tourism in Laos and estimates tourism demand equations using tourist inflow data for the period 1995-2004. Under the tourism strategy, Kobkarn expects the number of tourists to Thailand's northeast and Laos will increase, especially among those visiting from outside Asean.

Laos' prime minister agreed with the idea to develop both countries' tourism sectors and this initiative will form part of the five-year master plan for bilateral trade and investment to be boosted to US$10 billion (Bt344 billion)," she said, referring to a plan announced in Vientiane on Wednesday. These bridges serve the border links of Nong Khai-Vientiane, Mukdahan -Savannakhet, Nakhon Phanom-Tha Khaek and Chiang Rai-Houay Xai. Under the Two Countries, One Destination", Thai and Lao tourism organisations will join with public and private firms to promote tourist destinations, starting with locations near the four bridges linking the countries.

Since then, the figure has steadily increased, with almost 400,000 Chinese tourists passing through Lao borders just between January and September of 2016 alone. In 2011, according to statistics from the ministry's tourism sector, data showed that 150,791 Chinese tourists traveled to Laos thing to do.